Lacing-hook.



Patented Ian. 2, I900. H. 0. W'HYMAN.

LACING HOOK.

(Application filed Aug. 10, 1899.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES 1s PETERS 00., PMo-rou'ma. wnsume'rcn.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORATIO O. WHYMAN, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WI-IYMAN LACING HOOK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LAClNG-HOOK;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,724, dated January 2, 1900. Application filed August 10, 1899. Serial No. 726,801. (Nomo deL) T aZZ whom it may concern: lacing-hooks 0, one of which is shown on an Be it known that I, HORATIO O. WHYMAN, enlarged scale in Figs. 2 and 3, preferably a citizen of the United States, residing at Auconsist of a fiat metallic strip bent or otherrora, in the county of Kane and State of Illiwise formed so as to give it approximately 55 5 nois,have invented certain new and useful Imthe shape of a horseshoe having an attaching provements in Lacing-Hooks'; and I do heremember or arm 0 and a lace-engaging arm 0',-

by declare the following to be a full, clear, the arm 0 being preferably formed with inand exact description of the invention, such tegral attaching-prongs 0 0 which extend as will enable others skilled in the art to at an angle to thestrip and are adapted to 6'0 10 which itappertains to make and use the same. pierce the material and be clenched thereto This invention relates to lacing devicesfor on the opposite side, as shown in Fig. 3, so boots, shoes, and other articles, but more paras to firmly secure said arm to the material. ticularly to lacing-hooks for shoes. The free arm of the hook may be formed or The object of the invention is to provide provided with a boss or protuberance c at 15 a simple and inexpensive lacing-hook with the end thereof to prevent the lacefrom slipwhich the lacing cord or string may be easily ping off, and said arm is arranged in subengaged and disengaged and which will lie stantially the same plane as the pronged arm fiatwise on the surface of the shoe-upper or c and so as to lie fiatwise upon the surface of material to which it is attached, so as not to the material to which the hook is attached,

20 present obstructions or projections upon the and thus avoid projections, which are liable surface of the shoe or other article with which to catch onto the clothing of the wearer and the garments of the wearer may contact, and cause wear and tear thereof. In order to prethereby cause wear and tear of the clothing, vent the lace from catching underneath and as well as inconvenience and annoyance to binding between the arm of the hook and the 2 5 the wearer. material when the lace is drawn under and The invention will first be hereinafter more over the free arm of the hook, the pronged particularly described with reference to the arm 0 may be formed with a pendent edge accompanying drawings, which form a part flange 0 as shown in Fig. 2, or made thicker of this specification, and then pointed out in than the arm 0, as shown at c in Fig. 3, so as 0 the claims at the end of the description. to raise the free arm 0 slightly above the ma- In the drawings, in which corresponding terial to permit a sufficiently-free movement parts in difierent views are designated bythe of the lace and to prevent binding. I thus same reference-letters, Figure 1 represents a provide a fiat lacing-hook integral with the perspective view of a ladys shoe having the attaching member and arranged to normally 8 35 confronting or opposite edges of the shoe-uplie flatwise on the surface of the material to per secured together by means of a suitable which the attaching member is secured and lace and lacing-hooks constructed in accordin substantially the same plane therewith ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspecand which is adapted to be readily engaged tive view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the with or disengaged from the lace without af- 4o lacing-hooks detached; and Fig. 3 is a side or fording objectionable projections to contact edge view, on an enlarged scale, of one ofthe with and wear and tear the clothing. lacing-hooks anda section through the mate- The hooks are attached to the shoe-upper rial to which it is attached,'showing the mode or other article in the manner indicated in of attachment. Fig. 1, with the free arms thereof extending 45 The reference-letters A A in the drawings upwardly and outwardly, and when engaged denote the shoe uppers or quarters, the lower with the lace, as shown, the latter will overportions of which may be provided with suitlie and press the hooks down flat upon the able eyelets, as shown, with which 'a lace Bis surface of the material without canting them, engaged, and above said eyelets is shown a thus forming a practically smooth and unobmo 50 series of fiat lacing-hooks C 0, adapted to be structed surface and providing a comfortable engaged by said lacing-hook,as shown. These fastening. In unlacing a simple sidewise movement of the lace suffices to disengage it from the hook, while a simple reverse movement serves to engage the same in lacing.

With the hook extending out from the attaching member, as shown in Fig. 1,'the lace can be readily passed through the opening or throat of the hook and into the latter, and when beyond the teat or protuberance c the lace canbe brought back over the hook with its fiat side drawing on the latter, as shown, and in unlacing the string or lace can be pulled through the throat in the ordinary way.

The advantages of my improvement will be appreciated by persons familiar with the use of such devices and the objections incident to the use of the same as usually constructed, such objections being due to projections on or of the hooks catching onto the garments or the wearer and causing wear thereof.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a lacing device having a plain hook with a knob or enlargement on the end thereof, said hook extending out from and above or over the body portion or pronged attaching 'portion of the device; but it will be observed that in such devices the construction of the hook is such that considerable leverage is afforded, so that the pull of the lace or string upon the hook tends to tear the device ofi of the shoe-upper or other article and also cants or tilts the device sidewise in such manner as to depress one edge or portion thereof so as to cause it to press upon and irritate the foot of the wearer. My improvement entirely obviates both of these objections and, moreover,

the construction is very simple, adapting the device to be manufactured at a very small cost, much less than it is possible to produce the more or less complex contrivances heretofore proposed. 7

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat= ent of the United States, is

1. A flat lacing-hook consisting of an approximately horseshoe-shaped strip having its two arms arranged in substantially the same plane, one arm being adapted to engage with the lace, and the other provided with attach ing-prongs, substantially as described.-

2. A fiat lacing-hook consisting of an approximately horseshoe shaped flat strip formed with integral attaching-prongs on one arm thereof, and having its other arm free and arranged in substantially the same plane with the former, so as to adapt the device to lie flatwise on the surface of the material to which it is attached, substantially as described.

3. A flat lacing-shook, consisting of an ap 

